Empty Promises
by Rinku-Chan 333
Summary: "I'll be right behind you, I promise." It had been five years, and she had definitely not been right behind him. Now their young child wants to know about the woman he had given his heart and soul to, but he doesn't know if he has it in him to relive all that had been lost. For if he began remembering, wouldn't he have to admit that she broke her promise to him?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The sun began its descent to the horizon, casting everything in a red, dusky light. A man gazed out to the shaded courtyard as the dying rays illuminated a small girl and her friends. Currently, they were locked in an epic battle of tag. Hopefully by the end of it, there would still be some without a scraped knee or bruised shoulder. Even as they clumsily attempted to avoid one another, it was endearing to watch. As she chased after the others, the children's laughter echoed throughout the pre-night. His ears perked up every time they passed his window, and he couldn't help but smile.

But he knew that he would have to cut their fun short. After all, the stars were beginning to show themselves, and the full moon had started to cast everything in wispy, silvery shadows. Besides, he needed to make sure his daughter ate, anyway.

Sighing, the man pushed himself up from his seat on the bay window and strode out the front door. When his own child passed him again, he pulled her up into his arms and plopped her down on his broad shoulders as she squealed in protest.

"The sun's setting, sweetheart; time to break it up for today," he pointed out, glancing up at her.

Her jade eyes met his…after the completely expected eye roll, of course.

"But I was winning, Daddy," she pouted.

"Well, once is luck. Three times is skill. I'm sure that you could easily pull it off again tomorrow," he said. She mock-huffed, (and he naturally had absolutely no idea where she got that from), but didn't argue any further as he walked back to the family suite of the castle.

Kicking the door closed behind him, he set the girl back down on her feet. It was getting harder to see, even with his keener senses, so he whispered a spell that set the nearby candles alight. The girl, as fascinated by magic as any curious five year old would be, stared at him in awe. _As if she hasn't seen magic before_, he scoffed to himself.

"That is so cool! Won't you please show me how to do that?" she begged.

"How to be cool? That's easy enough," he grinned, calling on a water spell. As the forming droplets caught the light, the girl made a funny little noise and dived behind the couch. She liked being wet about as much as he did.

"Not like that!" the girl squealed.

"Then you should've been more specific, sweetheart," he teased, releasing control of the magic.

She slowly peaked out from behind the couch, tail twitching sporadically.

"Alright, Luna, go wash your hands; your Aunt Meg will be here with dinner soon."

"Okay, Daddy!" she said before disappearing into one of the back rooms.

Every day, he was reminded of the girl's mother. So little about her was him, besides the obvious things like the animalistic traits. Barring that, she was a child replica of the woman he loved, which was a blessing and a curse. If it were anyone else, he would resent the child for being a reminder…a slap to the face. However, he couldn't find it in himself to resent his own flesh and blood.

A knock on the doorframe echoed through the nearly empty room, drawing him out of his brooding. There stood an elf, adorned with a heavy-looking basket, which he assumed carried dinner. He would have moved to take it immediately, but she looked…less than pleased about something.

"What'd I do? Wait…don't tell me…it has something to do with my daughter," he guessed, flashing his teeth cheekily.

"Huh…? No, Luna's not you. I have no complaints when it comes to her. I was just wondering why you don't cook for yourself every now and then. I mean, what will you do if Porco can't serve food, anymore?" she pointed out.

"Oh, Margaret, I thought you were already married," he teased.

Margaret's scowl deepened, and a slight blush lit her cheeks. "Leon! I was just concerned! Can't you take anything seriously?" the elven woman accused.

"Sure I can. But if I get too serious, life gets boring," he reposted.

"Hmp. And here I thought being a dad would make you grow up a little," she quipped.

"Now you sound like our resident lady knight," he pointed out.

"She has a point!" Margaret pressed.

He chuckled. "Maybe she does. But it could be just as likely that she's wrong."

Margaret sighed. "Geez. It had looked like you _would _level out until..."

"Until…?" Leon prompted.

"Well, Frey leveled you out…" she trailed off softy.

He stiffened. Any flippant remark the man had prepared died on his lips.

He finally walked up to the elf and curtly took the basket from her hands. Margaret shrunk a little as he did so.

"Sorry…I didn't mean…" she winced.

"Just…go, Margaret," he replied.

But she didn't go. "You're not the only that felt her loss, you know," she pointed out, not unkindly.

Anger flashed in his eyes. Loss? Why did everyone insist on going on as if she was dead? She wasn't. But how could any of them understand? They weren't _there_ when it happened.

"Don't patronize me," he growled.

"Then get your head out of the clouds!" she countered.

"I'm the only one seeing clearly," he responded in kind.

"No, you're not! You're still in denial, even after all of this time! If she hasn't come by now, she's—"

Soft footsteps padded into the room, cutting Margaret off short.

"Who hasn't come by now?" Luna asked, eying the pair quizzically.

A pregnant silence filled the room. The girl was too young to understand, and he had made it a point with everyone not to tell her until she was older.

Finally, Leon managed, "It's no-one, sweetheart, don't worry about it."

More awkward silence prevailed until Margaret excused herself.

"Let's just eat. I got you your favorite tonight, and it'd be a shame if it got cold."

…

Later, as Leon started tucking his small daughter into bed, she looked restless. This wasn't the expected five year old _I'm not sleepy and can't I please stay up a little longer _restlessness, either. This was a kind of restlessness reserved for when something was on the girl's mind. He was more than happy to call her out on it, too.

"What's the matter, Moony?"

The girl blushed and averted her gaze. "Nothing…" she said. Right. Like he would believe that.

"Alright, so you can either lie to me, and I'll pretend to believe you, or you could tell me the truth and let me help you. Which, by the way, is why I'm here," he offered, unimpressed.

She hesitated, then met his eyes again. Whatever was gnawing on her definitely wasn't nothing.

"I…can I ask you a question, Daddy?"

He knew that he should probably take the query seriously, but he loved teasing his daughter most of all. So when an opportunity presented itself, why wouldn't he take it?

_If you were here, Love, you'd box my ear, wouldn't you? _He mused.

"I think you just did, didn't you?" he said, a small grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"But that's not the question!" she replied, puffing her cheeks out in frustration. Such a familiar gesture.

"Then why did you ask that one?" he pointed out, reveling in his daughter's frustration. If he thought her mother was adorable when she made such gestures, it was ten times cuter on the small girl.

She only stuck her tongue out at him, then, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "You make it so easy, sometimes," he muttered, finishing tucking the thick blankets around her small form.

"Seriously, though, what do you want to know?" he asked.

"How come everyone else has a mommy and I don't?"

His hands froze inches above her blankets as she asked. Of all of the questions she could have had, why did it have to be this one? Sighing, Leon thought of a way to answer it.

"Well…what makes you think you don't have a mom?" he finally responded lamely.

"Well, then, where is she?" the girl countered.

Damn. "She's…just not here right now. But if she could be, you can bet that she would be," he answered.

"Then why did she have to leave?"

"To make sure you could live," Leon stated. He was leaving out details, but there would always be time to fill them in later.

"Will she come back?" Luna asked.

That had been in question for a long time, now. Would the love of his life return? Would he hold her in his arms again and whisper sweet nothings in her ear, or argue about the bed sheets, as they used to? Would she ever get to see the adorable girl they created as she flourished? He certainly didn't have an answer to any of these.

Instead, he asked, "Where is all of this coming from?"

"Well, Mariko was just talking about her mommy the other day, and asked me about mine…" the girl trailed off. Ah, yes. Mariko. Well meaning, but oblivious, just like her dad. He made a mental note to talk to Vishnal about it later.

Leon sighed. "Look, your mom loves you very much. She's just…in a bad situation. I bet that she's trying to come home right now, and when she does, I'm sure she'll be delighted to get to know you," he reassured his daughter, ruffling her silvery green hair.

"For sure?" she pressed.

"For sure. Now, it's time to sleep. Growing girls need their beauty rest, after all," he pointed out, moving to the door.

"But I'm not tired!" she protested.

He stopped just short of the door. Of course she wasn't. This child was renowned for being difficult when it came to bedtimes. Though maybe he could use this to nip some of her questions at the bud.

Turning on his heel, Leon made to sit on the edge of the bed. "Want a bedtime story?"

The girl's whole countenance lit up. "Yes, please!"

"Alright. Where should I begin?"

"With once upon a time, of course!" the girl pointed out. Sometimes she had an uncanny talent for reminding him that he was getting older.

"Okay, then. Once upon a time, there was a young man. Bold and confident was he, as people naturally looked up to him. His confidence only grew when the resident dragon goddess picked him to tend to her needs, to be her eyes and ears in the world that she could not see," he began.

"Why couldn't she see the world?" Luna asked.

"Because she couldn't leave her sanctuary. It was her duty to protect the surrounding area, after all, and it's pretty hard to act as a protector if you're not there to stand guard," Leon explained.

"Anyway, so the dragon and the man soon became good friends due to the closeness of his position. They would confide in one another, bicker, or plan some harmless pranks for the villagers. While it was odd for others to think of gods as friends and companions, this god was different…human, in many ways.

"One day, the dragon got very sick. Everyone was trying to find a way to bring her back to health, but none tried so hard as the man. After all, to the villagers, she was a beloved deity. To him, on the other hand, he had a duty to save her…and other much more personal motives. However, an answer wouldn't present itself, and they were running out of time. So the man took drastic measures to buy her the needed time.

"There was a group of special mages that lived in seclusion from the rest of the world, tending the earth and discovering magic to help make people's lives better. There had been a rumor going around that they needed a volunteer to test out a new spell, one that could possibly cure the man's ailing friend. He sought them out, willing to do whatever it took to give the dragon time. But there was a reason they had no volunteers. This was a group of people who pressed for the best in everything they did, not the worst, but this spell would require someone to give up the life they knew and go into a long slumber until a more permanent solution could be found.

"But this was a price the man was more than willing to pay. After all, if it saved his friend, nothing else mattered. So he readily volunteered to give them the time they needed.

"He would only be the first to give so much away, and it would be centuries before anyone could wake him up…"

…

**A/n:** **Should I be working on Black Feathers? Yeah, I probably should be. However, it seems like the hardest parts to write are the ones that you know exactly what you want to happen. So…I'm writing this. **

**I've had this in my head for a while, now, but I wanted to write it out. Besides, Leon's the sweetest smart-ass I've ever seen (well, not the SWEETEST…but he's up there), and he has an angsty past, so I naturally have to cling on to him. While I don't know much about the child interactions, I can guess. Besides, this is going to have a lot of AU elements to it (or couldn't you tell?), so the canon, as usual, is more of a guideline than a law, and I'm throwing it to the wind from Luna being born on, anyway.**

**I do know that the monster traits from the Guardians aren't passed on to the child, but I like the idea that the kids DO get those traits much better. So I'm going with that. Yeah…**

**Anyway, I don't have it all solidified in my brain yet, so if you want to help the writer's block that's bound to crop up eventually, you could leave a suggestion in the comments or something, and I'll see how and/or if I can fit it in. I'm also looking for a betareader, if someone's willing to put up with my…bad habits and help me out.**

**Alright, I hope you enjoyed, see you next time…(whenever that is)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

He slowly lost awareness of the world, only to have it all be replaced by a black, unending void. Its dark tendrils cocooned him, shielded him from the realm of the living. At first, he thought that he had been tricked, that the Earthmates had killed him instead of putting him to sleep. Or maybe that's what they had meant when they proposed this test of theirs.

However, the dead don't think.

With that in mind, he tried to settle. Not that he could feel his own body. He was only aware of his mind, and that was a bit frightening. But if he was aware at all, he still had to be alive, right? What was that phrase from the old tongue? _Cogito ergo sum? _That sounded right. It was a wonder who had the kind of time to sit around and wonder if anything was real to come up with that sort of thing.

Or…maybe floating around in a boring void did that to people. Slap a fancy robe on him and call him a philosopher, because thinking was about the only thing he could do in this place.

And it quickly became apparent that thinking was a terrible pass time when there wasn't real life to temper it. Or…maybe it was quick. Time was meaningless in this place. There was no way to tell how much or how little of it passed. It could have been a few seconds or centuries, for all he knew, but it felt like he had been here a while.

He began to miss sensation, first. Any sensation. The feel of another's flesh against his, the warm embrace of a friend, the aching feeling one got after a long workout, touching a purpling bruise after taking a beating in the sparring match. Pain or pleasure, he didn't care which he felt first, he just wanted something more than _I can think_ to remind him that he was still alive. Something more than this oppressively empty void.

Next, he wondered after his friends and family. Were they still alive, or had too much time passed for that? And if they had all died, had they had happy lives? Could broken promises be forgiven, or would they destroy futures? Even if he woke up, and they were still there, would they accept him back, help try to rebuild his life? Or would they shun him? Would they even recognize him? Would he recognize himself when he woke up?

Such thoughts could easily send a man to insanity, and he found himself wanting to silence his own mind more than once. After all, it was proving to be like an assassin; in company, it will laugh and be your friend, let you live a little…but the second you get separated from the crowd, it would attempt to murder you. And if it's a sadistic one, it will make the process a sort of slow torture. Not the good kind of slow torture, either.

The only thing that kept him sane was the thought that this was for a friend, one that was worth far more to the world than he could ever be. For her, he had to stay strong. Of course, he was starting to wonder if it had been in vain, anyway. If it had been long enough, his usefulness would have run out, and then what?

Eventually, he decided that if he caught himself brooding over things that he couldn't answer, he forced himself to recall fond memories, or imagine himself in an infinitely better situation than this one. Not that it even really mattered. He would always come back to himself…or the lack of self, in this case.

He had hoped to be able to get out of this hell eventually, but he was convinced that they had forgotten about him here. There had to have been a solution by now, right? If so, why else would they leave him here? Some cruel joke? If he could free himself from this unending prison, he would. Unfortunately, though, that wasn't an option. Even if it was, he had no idea where even to begin.

So it's easy to understand why it scared the holy living shit out of him when he felt a sharp pain in his side. Under other circumstances, he would have grit his teeth and grabbed a lance to fight of the unseen attacker. As it was, there was no lance for him to grab, and…by God, he was still alive! He could feel again, and a hundred impressions hit him like a tsunami. They were jumbled, confused, but they were there.

Then, it all slowly receded back into nothingness, a whirlwind dying down into a faint breeze. He cursed his luck. A fluke? A way to instill false hope where none existed? Perhaps someone was trying to free him and they were defeated. Or maybe the damn foxes cut themselves on a loose rock. The problem was that he didn't _know _what happened in the outside world, anymore.

But then, it happened again, the rush of sensation, the sharp pain. And again. And again. Maybe there _was _still hope after all. Maybe someone hadfinally found him in this place and had the ability to release him. Of course, it was likely that they would fail. After all, the Earthmates _had _said that this place would be well guarded. He hoped that whoever it was wouldn't end up dead because of it.

Because of him.

All at once, the inky darkness ceased, and he was looking at the insides of his eyelids. Behind that was a blinding light. But he could see. That he was even aware of the light was better than it had been in…how long had it been, anyway? His body hurt all over like a wicked bitch, and while he would have preferred a nice hug or something, he would take it over nothing.

While he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes for the harsh light, it didn't take him long to hear clearly. In fact, he was pretty sure that he couldn't hear that well before. Raspy breath. The echo of boots on a stone ground. The subtle creak of well-oiled leather. The swish of skirts in time with the footsteps.

A lilting soprano voice, exhausted and in pain, but victorious. If the other slight sounds were music to his ears, the voice was a symphony. If only he could will his eyes to open to see who possessed it.

"It's over," the voice said to the room, "It's…finally over."

On top of the pain he was already in, he also became vaguely aware of his side pressed against a cold sandstone floor. He was still in the tower, if he were to guess. That it was still standing meant that someone either put powerful spells over the place, or that it hadn't been that long at all. He might be able to repair the damage he caused before going to sleep.

Suddenly, a loud noise, which suspiciously resembled an explosion, sounded through the room, and he slowly lost awareness of the floor below him. There it was again, and it repeated several times. No, no, _no_! Not now! Not when he was so close to freedom!

But instead of darkness, light behind his eyelids only got brighter, if that were even possible. What the hell was going on?

That girl—he would guess it was a girl, anyway—seemed to be wondering the same thing. The difference was that she had the means to vent her frustration out loud.

"Dammit! Where are you going? What's going on? I…I can't…reach…"

Was she...jumping to try to get to him? The way her boots thudded against something hard and the frustrated sounds she made every few seconds told him…yes, she was.

"I…didn't come…this far, just to…leave without…you! Get down here!" she cursed in between breaths.

Then she let out a curious noise that was half sob, half sigh. Something more than boots thumped heavily against the ground, and he wondered if she had exhausted what energy she had had left.

She started to mutter a string of choice words, and then stopped suddenly. Moments later, he felt something heavy land on his torso, and instinctually moved to grab it. What the hell was this girl up to?

He knew he couldn't be a big baby about it anymore and his eyes snapped open, right as she shouted the word, "Aria!"

Instead of a black void, a white one surrounded him, albeit with crystal flowers showing up here or there. Below him was the owner of the voice. He was a having a hard time focusing his eyes on her.

"Who are you?" he demanded as small details came into focus. Long silver green hair drawn back into pigtails. A smile that didn't quite reach her jade eyes, which were filled with regret and sorrow. Burns and cuts covered most of her visible skin, and she had probably seen better days.

Instead of answering his question, she said, "Head east from here and you'll get to Selphia. Venti's there, and she's waiting for you. When you see her, tell her…tell her thank you for being my friend. It was fun."

"You—"

Before he could say anything else, she disappeared. It went black for a moment before he was unceremoniously thrown into a room. One he knew well.

This was the room where they had made him into a Guardian.

As he lost momentum, one of the items the girl threw on him scuttled away from his grasp. He was about to reach after it, but as it stopped, the room burst into a storm of color and energy. Runeys drifted up from the floor wherever he looked. It matched the power his body would have provided, and then some.

_So that was their grand solution_, he mused.

Close to the stone…or whatever it was, was a ring. As he moved to pick it up, however, it shattered.

_And that would probably be how she got me out. Foolish girl._

Sighing, he tried to push himself up…and slipped on something wet. Curious, he held his hand up to what little light the candles in the room provided. The flames glinted off a dark red fluid.

Blood.

Too dark to be fresh, too light to be old. It's possible it was that girl's, but it hadn't looked like she was injured enough to leave such a puddle.

Slowly, he maneuvered himself so that he could observe the areas where he hurt the most. There on his side was a rather deep gash.

Well, that was new.

Cursing, he muttered a weak healing spell in the old tongue. It wouldn't do more than stop the bleeding for a little while, but it wasn't like he had the energy to perform anything stronger. With some of the pain dulled, he attempted to push himself up again, conscious of the puddle of blood this time. He had to stagger over to the wall to support himself, but he managed.

Next, he recalled the vague directions the girl had left him with and paired it with a mental image of Venti. Teleporting spells were something anyone should be able to do in their sleep, and just because he had been sleeping for a long time didn't mean he couldn't, either.

His surroundings melted away, and as they reformed, he was staring at a castle. It was small compared to some of the things he had seen, but grand, nevertheless. He had a feeling that Venti was in there. If she wasn't, he didn't know what would be big enough to house a dragon, but oh well.

Gritting his teeth, he willed himself to take the twenty steps or so it would take to get to the entrance without keeling over. One foot forward, one pull at his side, his back, his aching muscles. One hissed curse. Another foot forward, a leg that threatened to give way, black spots dancing in his vision. Grit teeth in a determined snarl.

As he moved to take the third step, he couldn't keep his balance anymore and fell to his knees. He was so close…but it was so far away. He felt tired, weak. But he had to keep going. He hadn't gone through all of this for nothing, and he sure as hell wasn't going to make that girl's sacrifice in vain.

Growling, he pulled himself forward a couple feet before staggering back to his feet. The black spots increased in number and ferocity, and he was basically looking through a tunnel. But he had to keep going. It wasn't that much farther. It couldn't be. Because he had to make it. He had to make sure that girl could get out all right, even if he himself wouldn't last. Dammit…

One step forward; slow, painful. Another. And another. Surely this one effort was taking a lifetime in and of itself. Well, his remaining lifetime, at any rate. It didn't matter, though. He just had to last long enough to get the message across, and then if he died, he died. It was probably better that way, at any rate.

Just as his legs were about to give way again, he was able to brace himself against the entrance to a shrine of some sort. He had made it. He attempted to form a sigh of relief, but all that came out was a hiss of pain. He would be lucky if he could remain conscious for the next minute, and he was sure that his pathetic healing spell had already worn off.

A voice called to him from the right. "Leon?"

Then she was still alive, then. Good.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," he slurred. He was so tired…what did he need to do, again? What had been so damn urgent that he couldn't just go to sleep? Why did he put himself through all of that?

"Leon!" Venti said again, considerably more alarmed.

Well, he had gotten here. He was sure that he more than earned a rest…

Suddenly, the pain fled his body all at once, and his weariness receded enough that he could think again. He would probably have to grovel at her feet for that one later. Damn dragon.

"Geez, what's with you, stumbling in here covered in your own blood and barely responsive or coherent? Do I have to everything for you people?" the dragon before him griped. She had grown. That didn't bode well for his fears.

"Nice to see you, too, Venti. Seems like you haven't changed," he smirked.

"And you are still as impertinent as always," she responded dryly.

"Right, greetings out of the way, there's something that still needs doing…"

…

"But what about that girl?" Luna pressed, knocking Leon out of his memories.

"I was getting to that part, sweetheart, before you butted in," he pointed out.

"So what happened?" she asked again.

"Easy, the dragon goddess went back to the light place and pulled her out. And they lived happily ever after. For the moment, at least," Leon said.

"What does that mean?" Luna asked.

"It means that there are more stories about them, but it's well past your bedtime," he replied. The sun had taken its leave long ago, and the moon shone in through the nearby window.

"But I'm not tir—"she was cut off by her own traitorous yawn.

"What was that? 'Good night, Daddy?'" he asked, smirking.

"But—"

"I can always tell you more tomorrow, if you want," he offered.

The girl seemed uncertain. She certainly wanted to hear more, but she also didn't want to go to sleep. That might have been partially his fault; his girl loved stories as much as her mother does, and he was sure that he would find her buried in books when she could read.

"Fine," she groaned, as if it were her choice.

"Good girl. I'll see you in the morning," Leon replied, pressing a kiss to her brow.

"Night, Daddy," she said as he closed the door behind him.

…

**A/n: Well, this is going better than my pessimistic self had expected. It appears to be well-received, all things considered…I'm glad there are people out there that take interest in this!**

**School will be starting up soon, so I wouldn't expect a regular update schedule by any means (what is this concept?) But I'll try to be good about it. I won't promise, though, because then Leon'll get mad at me for an empty promise :P**

**Alright, I think that when the Guardians were respectively brought to the clinic after being freed from their monster form, Jones pretty says that they're fine. However comma, they also have their bodies fused with a monster that ends up taking a beating before they can rejoin human society. I find it hard to believe that they come out basically unscathed. So, you know…I brutally injured Leon. There will probably be references to the other three having grievous injuries when they get back to town, too. Should I feel guilty? Probably. However, they usually end staying in the clinic for a few days before they wake up, and that kind of thing points to injury…yet Leon walked away just fine when you see him with Venti. The verdict? He pushed himself to get to her and she healed him. And even if that's not what happened, that's what I'm going with. Apparently.**

**And because I'm unoriginal, I'm going to just call Latin the old tongue. Google translate Latin, at any rate. But I dunno, Descartes's philosophy "I think therefore I am" seemed appropriate in this case. So I went with it (it's secretly a bid to try and look really smart…don't tell Kiel, or everyone will know XD)**

**So, you know, I hope you enjoyed (and I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations, Halcyon), and I'll attempt to update soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

As the late morning sun poured in through his window, Leon stretched luxuriously, like a cat awaken from a satisfying nap. He couldn't hide his smile of satisfaction as his spine popped one vertebrae at a time. It was such a small thing—a regular thing—yet it felt _wonderful_.

Before going to sleep, he would have never guessed that even the small things like that could brighten his day so. All it took was centuries of losing his mind in an empty void to change his perspective on that kind of thing.

And it had been centuries since he volunteered for that thrice-damned experiment. When Venti had told him that, he was shocked. He knew that it would take a while for anyone to find the answer they were all so desperately looking for. But he had estimated one lifetime at most, not ten…certainly not so long that everything that was familiar was considered ancient history by the people here.

Yet it became abundantly clear just how much time had passed by walking around for a minute. The buildings around him were nothing like the stone monuments he had grown up around, between the wood-and-glass that seemed common here and the rather bland interiors to even a building as grand as a castle. It was like colors had been shoved aside for a boring, monotone palette. There were exceptions, of course, like the inn he had managed to stay in, but it felt too uptight, too structured for his liking…

…up until one observed the off-beat people that lived in those boring, rigid homes. Or, at least, they were off-beat to him. Perhaps these kinds of people were normal in this time, but he doubted it. Personalities kicked off from stubborn-ass immortals (who had thankfully been one of the few things not to change drastically over time) to prudish knights to forgetful and clumsy innkeepers. Everyone displayed their quirks like shiny medals of honor. It must be nice to be so at ease about their flaws.

And so much had been lost. Not one person knew the old tongue (though it was rare in his own time), and the whole government system was off. From what he heard, the changes were even more drastic in places that didn't have the direct influence of a Native Dragon.

Of course, just as much had been gained. Hell, these people could soar through the sky without a care in the world. He would have killed to be able to do that before.

But no matter what was lost or gained, it was all different. It left a sense of loss in the pit of his stomach, made him feel uneasy about this new world he had waken up into.

It was painfully clear that he was alone.

Not that the townspeople hadn't done everything they could to make him feel at home in this small town. They were incredibly hospitable, probably more than an outsider warranted. They gave him a bed, warm food to eat…easy trust, though he suspected that the last was because of his connection to Venti. Even with it being easy to amuse himself with them, though, it was clear that he didn't belong here.

All of this he had learned in a day, after Venti gave him a scathing lecture about not draining himself to the point that he couldn't even heal his own body, and running off without telling her first. It was comforting to know that she was more or less the same, if a bit more bitter and withdrawn than before. Yet none of this caught his interest the way her new not-Priestess did. An Earthmate, apparently, and a princess, despite having no connection to the royal family of this era. And willing to sacrifice herself for a complete stranger with no other reason than that she was able.

He had received a formal introduction to the girl already. Frey, he think her name was. Unusual, but it seemed to suit her somehow. Young, like she had just emerged into the world on her own, and innocent in a way that almost brought to mind a child. She wasn't beautiful, for that would imply a certain age and experience that she didn't possess, but only a fool would call her unattractive. She did nothing to hide her curves, for sure, but there was more to it than that. Her eyes, for example, held a warmth and candor that he hadn't expected to see, and they almost glowed in the right light. And she had a smile that lit up her whole face. If it were him, he would generally reserve a smile like that for a close friend, but she seemed to be far more open as a person than he would ever be.

As to who she was as a person and what led her there, he could only figure out the basics; kind and fiercely stubborn, ready to die for what she believed in if it came to that, and easily flustered, apparently. That last one caught his interest. If provoked far enough, she might show teeth of her own, but for now, it meant that she would be fun to tease. Her past was a mystery that nobody could solve, not even Frey herself, and he had to wonder what it was like not to be weighed down by distant mistakes, to be able to look to the future without being dogged by yesterday's regrets.

Beyond that, she was practically a stranger. Her open warmth made her seem familiar, like a long lost friend, but that was easy to call impossible. After all, everyone he had ever known was dust by now, a whisper in the Forest of Beginnings. But unlike anyone else in this town, he felt like he could be at ease around her. Something about her just made him feel…safe, he supposed. Which was the kind of ridiculous bullshit that was chronicled in sappy romances, but oh well. Perhaps in his old age, he was becoming sappy.

He didn't have the answers, but he sure as hell wasn't going to spend time wondering about it. After all, that's all he'd been doing for the past centuries, and he wanted to get as far away from that place as he could. So he shoved the girl to the back of his mind for now and pushed himself out of bed to see what today held.

…

After an hour or so of staring at the blank ceiling willing sleep to come, Leon eventually gave up and rolled out of bed. He hadn't had that much trouble going to bed in a couple of years, at least, and he knew why it was an issue, now. His mind was swimming in memories he had suppressed for years. Whenever he closed his eyes, _she_ was there with a coy smile or a warm embrace. Tonight, it made his bed—_their _bed, he corrected himself—seem terribly empty.

With a sigh, he slipped into a robe and walked out the back door that led to the castle's long abandoned gardens.

The land had been well cared for, once. Natural in beauty without seeming overdone, a look that only one blessed by the earth could accomplish so skillfully. It had overflowed with energy and life, and it was always a comfort to walk around in. It had been his wife's pride and joy, once. Now, he wondered if she would recognize the overgrown paths or the rock beds.

But it still held traces of her that nature couldn't quite erase; patches of pom-pom grass that were descended from a whole field of them she used to maintain, or the miniature forest to the right that had once been an orchard. The trees still bore fruit, even, if they could be caught in season.

And even as the previously well-kept grounds had given way to something far more wild and feral, the land still held the unique feel of her. The people of this time had forgotten how to listen to the earth, except maybe the Earthmates, but he still knew. It had been a common skill to learn when he was growing up. The earth remembered, and it was comforting to sense her still embodied in this forgotten field, even as it sent a pang of longing coursing through him.

This place held many memories, and this time, when they tried to break away from his carefully erected fortress, he didn't stop them.

…

"So tell me," Venti started, "How are you handling everything?"

Leon rolled his eyes as he idly twirled his peacock feather fan. "_I _am fine. I'm much more interested in you're feeling," he remarked.

"I'm not back up to a hundred percent yet, but I'm fine. Just like when Frey asked me that question an hour ago, and Dolce half an hour before her," the dragon grit out. She acted annoyed to have everyone's concern, but he could tell that she was secretly pleased that so many people were around that cared about her well-being.

"Oh, yes. You're so put upon to be surrounded by people that care. Woe is you, and all that. I could give you a hug, if that would make you feel better," he smirked.

"Don't you dare."

"Why not? Amber can give you hugs, and Pico can give you hugs. Would you prefer a kiss?"

"Amber and Pico are basically still children, so I tolerate it. You, on the other hand, are a fully grown adult…and I don't need some human slobbering over me in your strange customs of affection!" she sniffed, indignant.

"Adult? You hurt my feelings, my lady," he replied.

"Right…so comforting to know that my highly insubordinate Priest hasn't changed a bit over the centuries," Venti stated.

"I'm glad you agree!" he said.

She made a noise that would have been a sigh if she were human. As it was, it came out a half-growl and echoed off the bare walls. He couldn't hold back a chuckle at her exasperation.

"Former Priest, anyway," she muttered under her breath.

"No such thing. You're stuck with me for life," Leon pointed out.

"_Your _life. Mine will far exceed yours if everything goes to plan, and then I'll be rid of that bothersome position for good," she sniped.

"Is that your way of saying 'go to hell,' Venti?"

"Not quite, but getting there," she growled.

"Not quite what?" a soft soprano voice cut in.

"Oh, Frey. What are you doing here?" Venti asked.

"I live here, remember?" Frey replied cheekily, walking into the dragon gate.

"Right. Did you get lost? I seem to recall that your suite is that way," Venti stated, pointing a sharp talon to the right.

"Oh, that's right. My rooms are the human sized ones, not the ones big enough to fit a three-story dragon in them. My bad," the Earthmate replied dryly.

"Why did you actually come here?"

"To see you. How are you feeling?" Frey inquired.

"No better or worse than when you asked that question over an hour ago. I don't need all these humans coddling me!" the dragon growled.

"Sure you don't. Because if something _does _get worse, you'll definitely tell us first thing instead of waiting until the last second. After all, you'd want to give us the courtesy of time to help instead of having us all scramble at the last second," Leon pointed out. He was sure they had forgotten about him in their little pissing contest, but now they were aware of him again. All was right in the world.

"Yeah, yeah, hold the past against me, why don't you?" Venti replied.

"You mean the past the feels like two days ago to me?" he pointed out.

"Bite me," she growled.

"Is that an invitation?" he stated.

"No!" she snapped.

"I didn't know you liked Venti like that, Leon," Frey piped in. Her face was innocent enough…until one observed her eyes, which held a mischievous glint in them. Not bad.

"Jealous? After all, I _am _her Priest," he reposted easily.

"Former Priest," Venti bit out.

"No such thing."

"Well, even if I were jealous, I have no reason to be, now," Frey replied.

"I was the first. I'll bet you she likes me better."

"No way!"

"Way. Isn't that right, Lady?"

"You inconsiderate cur," Venti grumbled.

"Back up. Did you just use your nick-name for me on _him_?" she pouted.

"Ha. That was my name long before you were even a thought," he pointed out.

"Then I came along," the princess stated.

"And thank you for keeping my seat warm. Now, I'm taking it back," he replied.

"I'm not just giving it up because you asked me to!" she fumed.

"Do you want me to sit on you?" he asked.

"I have a rock spell that'll send you flying out the door if you try it," she warned.

"Enough! It's like having a pair of two-year-olds around!" Venti shouted.

"Is there a fourth person in here that I should know about?" Leon asked.

"No! Do I need to blunt?" the dragon demanded.

"No thanks, _Mom_," he said.

"Does that make your unhealthy obsession incest?" Frey asked.

"You were the one that brought it all up. I think that _you're _the one with the obsession," he pointed out.

"Knock it off, or I'll send both of you to your rooms without dinner!"

"Pretty empty threat considering I have my own kitchen," Frey stated.

"I know where you sleep," Venti said.

Leon chuckled. It was good to know that someone had been keeping Venti company while he was…indisposed. He felt like he hadn't been able to enjoy himself like this in years. Centuries, in his case, but that would be hyperbolic under normal circumstances.

"Don't you start; I don't know where _you _live, now, but Frey does, and I will sic her on you," the dragon continued.

"For a simple laugh? You wound me." He maintained a smirk, despite trying to _sound _wounded. Apparently, neither of his current companions were buying it.

"You annoy me. Shoo!" Venti snapped.

"Your wish is my command, Lady," Leon replied, bowing a little too low to be anything but mocking.

"Out!"

As he emerged into the courtyard, the Priest couldn't contain himself anymore, and started laughing uncontrollably. One day back, and she had already kicked him out. And that girl…Frey…she had an…odd sense of humor. He found the whole situation amusing.

"You seem pretty amused for someone that just got kicked out by a dragon, you know."

He whirled around. It hadn't occurred to him that he had been followed…not that it was hard to follow him in the first place. Yet there she stood, holding back her own smirk, her jade eyes glimmering with mirth.

"Do I?" he asked, matching her smirk and her sardonic tone.

"Yes," she replied.

"You going to do something about it?"

"Should I?"

"That depends on you, doesn't it?"

"I guess."

He studied her. Surely she didn't just come out here to have a conversation about his level of amusement. However, her body language revealed nothing. Clever. That only left words to find out her true intentions, then.

"Anything in particular you want, or did you just miss the sound of my voice?"

She blushed slightly, the good humor vanishing from her face like a snuffed candle. Now this was interesting.

"Well…you're new here, and I…figured it would be nice to have friendly company, or…something," she offered.

Oh, this was too good to pass up. "What, are you asking me on a date?" he asked.

Her big eyes grew wide, and her blush deepened. It was actually kind of cute. "W-what? No! I just—"

He laughed. She grew five shades darker. He laughed some more.

"It's not very nice to laugh at others when they make a serious offer, you know," the princess said, her blush deep and her eyes set on him in a glare.

"Funny, though," he replied, smirking.

She straightened up. Her glare morphed into what he could only describe as a pout. "Fine, then. I was trying to be polite, but if you don't want to, I'll just find some other way to spend tomorrow afternoon," she declared.

She was offering to spend a whole afternoon with him in her time's strange version of 'polite?' A far too amusing offer to let her walk away with.

Until, of course, a memory floated into his mind. The whole situation was…familiar, and he half-expected Selphia's princess to break down into tears within seconds. But she didn't, just kept that same childish pout on and waited for him to react.

He mentally shoved the past aside for a moment and made up his mind passed on the present.

"Well, you know…I do have time to kill tomorrow, if you're really so desperate for company," he replied, fighting against the strange, guilty feeling that welled up in his gut.

Her whole countenance shifted from pouty to shyly happy, mixed in with a little surprise. A mask of polite interest quickly replaced it, but she hadn't hid her real feelings fast enough for him not to recognize them.

"Alright, then. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess…" she trailed off. The blush returned, and he had to wonder what was provoking it.

"Tomorrow, then," he replied, turning to leave.

As he walked away, he had to wonder to himself what he had just done. At the very least, though, it promised to make tomorrow interesting.

…

**A/n: I would have had this chapter out yesterday, but it was the first day of school (which turned out…less than ideal), and I was worn out by the time I sat down to finish this up. Today went much better, though, so I can give you the chapter without ripping my hair out for something to write.**

**Now, for some reason, the characters weren't classified on here (even though I **_**swear **_**I put them down), but they should be there, now. And to clarify; this **_**will **_**evolve into a Leon/Frey fic, because that apparently wasn't clear already :P (a-HEM)**

**I really need to get out of Leon's head and advance the plot a little more, but Leon keeps shouting at me the lengthy, internal monologue things were important to the story. Well…that, and I like exploring his psyche. So…it's quickly becoming apparent to me as the author that this will largely focus on Leon's thoughts and feelings, and less on something more…plot-driven. If that wasn't obvious enough. I'm just slow, I guess. Also, putting Venti, Leon and Frey in the same room seems like throwing a small pack of children together…just me?**

**And I didn't expect the pseudo-asking out thing to happen at the end, either. It certainly wasn't in the original draft. But it moves the story along, so hooray for that! The next chapter will certainly be more interesting to write than I had originally thought.**

**I'm still looking for beta reader, if anyone's interested...maybe not, but I'll throw it out there, all the same.**

**At any rate, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and I'll see you next time!**


End file.
